Wenger relieved to beat ‘astonishing’ Sutton

Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger arrives for the English FA Cup fifth round football match between Sutton United and Arsenal at the Borough Sports Ground, Gander Green Lane in south London on February 20, 2017. PHOTO/Glyn KIRK / AFP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his team would have faced FA Cup humiliation against non-league Sutton United had they shown less application in their fifth-round victory.

Arsenal won 2-0 in Monday’s tie at Sutton’s 5,000-capacity Gander Green Lane ground, but they were given a real run for their money by a team ranked 105 places below them in the English league system.

Goals from Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott, his 100th in Arsenal’s colours, earned the visitors victory, but Sutton pushed them until the end, even hitting the bar through ex-Arsenal trainee Roarie Deacon.

Asked if it had merely been a case of ‘job done’, Wenger replied: “Yes, against a side that was astonishing.

“It is basically division five and they are 17th out of 24. I will never go down there (to manage) because it is too difficult!